Blending the badge with faith

The trip was part of Badge of Faith Police Ministry, an organization started by Officer McKenzie's uncle, Lt. Kevin McKenzie of the Olive Branch Police Department in Mississippi.

Danielle Portteus Monroe News staff reporter DPortteusMNews

Without his faith, Monroe police Officer Alexander McKenzie is not sure he could be a cop.

“I don’t know if I could do this job without my faith,” he said.

Officer McKenzie, who grew up in the Pontiac area, said he was raised in the church. In January, he went on a week-long trip to help the National Police of Honduras train officers, rebuild parts of two police posts and provide equipment donated by agencies across the country.

The trip was part of Badge of Faith Police Ministry, an organization started by Officer McKenzie’s uncle, Lt. Kevin McKenzie of the Olive Branch Police Department in Mississippi.

Lt. McKenzie spent many years doing service work in Honduras before creating the faith-based organization.

The combination of faith and assisting fellow officers drew Officer McKenzie to volunteer.

“With the organization focusing on police officers, it’s close to my heart,” he said.

Nine officers from three states went to Honduras Jan. 13-20. Officer McKenzie was one of two officers from Michigan to make the trip. The other officer was from Bloomfield Hills.

Before the trip, Badge of Faith collected gear, including donations from the Monroe Police Department, to distribute to the Honduran police.

“A lot of agencies toss out good equipment because they are getting new ones and we take it down there,” Office McKenzie said. “They are ill-equipped.”

Some of the officers don’t have basic suspect apprehension equipment like handcuffs, batons or pepper spray. The American officers also provided some training, including handcuffing techniques.

“I have two on my belt and two spares in my bag,” Officer McKenzie said, who has been with the Monroe Police Department for about two years. “They are fighting a war down there and these officers are dealing with drug and weapons trafficking and have half of the equipment we do.”

Instead, they get a gun and a single magazine issued to them by the force upon graduation, he said.

Some of the equipment the Honduran police do have is old, cracked and unsafe.

“They have a cracked or broken duty holster,” he said.

Officer McKenzie said a policeman did not have pepper spray, but received some from the group. The American officers trained him on how to use it to apprehend a suspect.

“One of the coolest things that happened when we were there was the third officer in command (of the National Police) thanked us because that officer used pepper spray on a serial rapist who was hyped up on PCP,” he said. “It took about six to eight officers to arrest him, but that pepper spray kept the officers and the suspect safe.”

The organization provides equipment in exchange for teaching the Bible.

The group also worked on two police posts — one in La Ermita and the other in Guaimaca — installing one roof and upgrading another.

“The roof was in horrible shape, you could see sunlight right through it,” Officer McKenzie said. “The officers would get rained on while they were sleeping.”

The second post had a newer roof, but the birds could get underneath it so the officers sealed it.

Repairing the roofs was an important contribution because the police posts are the officers’ home away from home, Officer McKenzie said.

“They work an average of 10 days straight before they have three days off,” he said. “Honduras is one of the most murderous countries in the world. These officers are stationed three to four hours from home to cut down on corruption. Their job is very difficult.”

Badge of Faith partnered with a missionary couple through Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International. The couple runs a health clinic that provides affordable medical care to the Hondurans. On their site, they have a building with beds, showers and a small cafeteria where they hosted the American officers.

Officer McKenzie said he enjoyed the experience and plans to return next January. He is planning to collect supplies and encourage more officers to join on the trip.

Volunteering to assist his fellow officers was eye-opening for the young officer.

“It certainly gave me a new appreciation for what I have, not just my work life, but my home life, too,” he said. “It’s a blessing to have the equipment we have. I have the means to buy new stuff if I need it.”

To donate:

Badge of Faith Police Ministry is collecting donations for the trip including monetary donations. To donate, contact Officer Alexander McKenzie by e-mail at alexander.mckenzie@monroemi.gov.